Vatuwaqa Funeral Rites Facility

The Vatuwaqa Funeral Rites Committee (VFRC) which comprises of representatives from THEN INDIA SANMARGA IKYA SANGAM, SHREE SANATAN DHARM PRATINIDHI SABHA OF FIJI, SIKH GURUDWARA PRABANDHAK COMMITTEE, ARYA PRATINIDHI SABHA OF FIJI, KABIR SAT DHARM PARCHARAK MAHA SABHA, SHREE SANATAN DHARAM PUROHIT BRAHMAN MAHA SABHA FIJI, GANDHARVA SANGEETALAYA, THE FIJI SEVASHRAM SANGHA and GUJARAT SAMAJ, wishes to advise members of the general public via the following Public Notice that effective from 1st March 2022, a levy of $50.00 shall be charged for a single dispersion of cremation ash and any final rites rituals associated with it, to be carried out at the Vatuwaqa Funeral Rites Facility.

This levy is being implemented so that VFRC could continue to manage the approximately $40K annual operational cost (which doesn’t include the maintenance cost) at the Facility, of which approximately $30K is being used annually to pay for the 24/7 Security Services to help keep the beautiful $920K facility secure, and the remaining $10K to pay for all the other costs such as rates, water and electricity bills, providing cooking facility, shower and washroom facility and for the general upkeep of the facility compound.

The VFRC was anticipating that the users of the facility would generously make appropriate donations when using this beautiful facility, and hence a Levy wasn’t implemented at the beginning. Since on average much less than 50% of the users have been making any or minimal donation at the facility, the decision to implement a fixed Levy for the use of the facility had to be sought and it has taken us approximately two years to acquire appropriate permits and approvals to be able to implement this.

Hence, we are kindly requesting the general public to please appreciate the implementation of this small $50 Levy, which will now have to be made at the VFR Facility from 1st March 2022 and an official receipt collected, after which families would be allowed to carry out a single dispersion of cremation ash and any final rites rituals associated with it at this beautiful facility.

The VFRC would like to thank the general public in advance for their kind cooperation and understanding.

The Vatuwaqa Funeral Rites Committee (VFRC) is ready and invites you all to join from the comfort of your home to our Vatuwaqa Funeral Rites Facility page or to Radio Fiji 2 Radio Station or their FB page and participate online to the Pitru Paksha Shradhanjali program that will be streamed live from the VFR Facility during the auspicious Amavasya Sarvapitri Parv today (Wednesday 6th October, 202) from 2-3pm.

This program is being dedicated to all those loved ones whom we have lost during the Covid crisis and to also pay homage to our ancestors.

Everyone is wecome to join in and take Sankalpa in memory of their loved ones at the beginning of the program at 2pm, followed by the recital of Chapter 7 of Bhagavat Gita and recital of Vishnu Sahastra (1008) Naam Paat which will conclude with Chama Prathna by 3pm.

This program will be conducted by various local Priests who are part of the Faith Based Organization's that make up our VFRC, in association with Priests like Pt Jayendra Shastri Ji, Pt Vishnu Tiwari Ji and Pt Prakash Sivam the Head Priest of TISI Sangam Howell Rd Temple from India.

JSR/Namaste, Pt Ashlen Gosai Ji with his 8 member team from Shree Guru Sharnagat Mandali and Shiv Mandir from Narere, this afternoon (Sun 12/Sep from 2pm till 6:30pm) volunteered to maintain the lawn and cleaned the Vatuwaqa Funeral Rites Facility by cutting and raking the lawn and water blasting the entire facility. The Vatuwaqa Funeral Rites Committee (VFRC) thanks Pt Ashlen Gosai Ji and his team for this service work. The VFRC welcomes other volunteers to also come forward and help maintain this facility, where Fijian Families come to disperse ash and carry out final rites of their loved one's in a dignified manner totally free of cost 🙏